(By Amy Jo Miller)

My first experience with Penzeys was when someone gifted me their World’s Greatest Black Pepper. I honestly didn’t think much of it it until my then eight-year-old pointed out: “Mom, we’re so lucky to have the best pepper in all the world!” After using it, I have to admit that it actually might be the World’s Greatest Black Pepper. There’s just something about it that makes it better than other brands – it’s delicate (as in you won’t get chunks in your teeth) with an appetizing flavor.  

Since then, my interest in Penzeys has grown. I signed up for their newsletter and quickly realized that this is a company that is not afraid to stand up for its beliefs. The owner, Bill Penzey, writes regular emails. The subject lines can include: “Until Midnight Celebrate Immigration Soul – Just $20!” and the body of the email often weaves together politics and spices, which cannot be easy! Here’s an example:

“The election is now right around the corner. As much as we believe every night is a good night to cook, and there’s nothing better to do with your time than cooking, we’re good with re-heating something Tuesday 11.6.18 to give you time to get out to vote. With that in mind, and understanding some foods are even more tasty after a day or even two, through this weekend we are offering you your choice of a couple of really good Chili Powders Free with just a $5 purchase.”

At Goods Unite Us, we appreciate brands and companies that are transparent about their politics and agenda. It’s something we’re passionate about too, because we believe citizens deserve to know if the money they spend on consumer goods (around $30K per year) is inadvertently being used to support politicians and causes that they don’t believe in.  

It turns out that we aren’t the only ones who appreciate it – y’all make lots of comments on our Facebook page about Penzeys’ views and opinions.

Perhaps the best part about Penzeys, however, (besides the pepper and roasted garlic) is that they don’t play politics. We’ve done the research, and Penzeys’ Campaign Finance Reform Score is a perfect 100. This means that the company and its senior leaders either 1) do not give money to politicians or PACs or 2) give very very minimally. It’s a stance we hope to see more brands and companies taking because it strengthens our democracy.

Now it’s your turn to help! Please frequent and support all businesses with solid Campaign Finance Reform Scores, like Penzeys. We make it easy to do via our free app and website.